


Together

by TheMightyFlynn



Series: Family Matters [6]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Anger, F/M, Fear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-29
Updated: 2017-11-29
Packaged: 2019-02-08 06:19:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12858600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMightyFlynn/pseuds/TheMightyFlynn
Summary: Lucius acknowledges the mistake he has made





	Together

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [theiceroyals](https://theiceroyals.dreamwidth.org) November [prompt](https://theiceroyals.dreamwidth.org/#entry-6793): People tend to make rules for others and exceptions for themselves.

**August 23rd, 1998.**

Narcissa was waiting for Lucius as he entered the parlour on the second floor of the Manor. He was fully aware that he had roused her anger; there had been no reason for Severus to point that out to him. The fact that the infuriating man had just up and left him to his fate did not sit well with Lucius, but he supposed he had faced worse than his wife’s anger. Not much worse, he would admit, but still…

“Do you wish to defend your actions, or should I just begin speaking?”

Lucius blinked. Standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, Narcissa’s stiff posture alone told him how angry with him she was. Technically, he could see her reasons. He should not have called Severus for assistance with the Draco situation without bringing her into the discussion. Draco was, after all, her son as well. However, Lucius felt as though his actions had been justified simply due to the fact that neither he nor Narcissa knew just what to do about Draco’s behaviour. Severus dealt with difficult children every day and was therefore clearly better equipped to deal with behaviour such as Draco had been displaying. At the very least, Severus could have given him some pointers.

“Lucius?”

He met her eyes without hesitation. “I am unsure how to handle this situation, Cissa.”

“And you believe that that gives you the right to just, what? Disappear for two days, then reappear as though nothing had happened?”

Lucius bit his tongue to prevent himself from informing her that nothing _had_ happened. Clearly, Narcissa was at least approaching livid, so angering her further was against his best wishes.

The two days he had supposedly ‘disappeared’ had been spent in a separate wing of the Manor, one that people rarely visited. He had needed a little time to himself and the restrictions he had been placed under after the end of the war prevented him from leaving the Manor grounds, meaning he could not travel. Usually, he would have taken off to France or Italy and spent a couple of days wandering around one of the Malfoy estates there, but he was forced to make do with Wiltshire at the moment. Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly.

“This is a situation that I am unfamiliar with, as you are well aware. I am dealing with it as best I can and–”

“As best you can?” Narcissa’s hands clenched by her sides. “Tell me, Lucius, how exactly is disappearing for two days straight ‘dealing with’ this situation? How is calling Severus to come to _our_ home in order to discuss _our_ son without me ‘dealing with’ this situation? How is _leaving me alone to worry about your whereabouts_ ‘dealing with’ this situation?”

“Cissa–”

“No.”

Stepping towards him, Narcissa’s eyes flashed. Her knuckles were turning white with how hard her hands were clenched, a muscle in her jaw twitched, and her chest rose and fell rapidly. A tingle ran down Lucius’ spine, part fear, and part desire. He knew the world saw Narcissa as only the obedient wife; a trophy wife, even. The world could not have been more wrong, however. There was true power hidden behind the calm exterior she showed the world; power that would terrify any right-thinking person. As she got within arm-reach, Lucius discovered that he was incredibly right-thinking.

“If I had disappeared like that, would you have been worried for me?”

Lucius’ hand clenched on the head of his cane. “Of course–”

“If I had called a freind in to speak about Draco without you, would you not have been angry with me?”

“That is hardly the same–”

“Lucius!” Narcissa took the last step that brought her right up into Lucius’ personal space. “You cannot make rules for me that do not apply to you.”

Standing and staring into his wife’s bright eyes, Lucius let out a slow breath. His insides shivered. It was a not-altogether-unpleasant sensation. His fingers twitched towards her, but he held himself back, unsure how making a gesture like that would be accepted at that point in time.

“Cissa, I–”

“Do not try to placate me, Lucius.”

He shook his head. “No, no, I would not be foolish enough to attempt that. You have every right to be angry with me; I see that now.”

“Do you? Do you really? Because I am having difficulty believing much that you say at the moment.”

Lucius closed his eyes. Fear was still shivering through him, lending the room around him a sharper quality than usual.

“Narcissa–”

“Be careful, Lucius.”

He dipped his head in acknowledgement before re-opening his eyes. “I apologise.” He held the hand not clenched on his cane up to prevent her from interrupting him when her mouth opened. “You have been the one constant in my life for twenty-five years now. You have my love and my respect above anyone else in this world, you know that. I should have consulted you before I took any kind of action. This is something we should be dealing with together, as we have done in the past.”

Narcissa was silent for much longer than Lucius was comfortable with. He retained eye contact, however. He knew that showing Narcissa just how she was affecting him would place him in a poor position, so he held still, simply allowing her to sort through what he had said. His nerves jangled when she took a deep breath and let it out through her nose.

“There are very few things in this world that I truly cherish, Lucius. My family is one of them. I will not allow anything to break any single member of my family, even if that something is another member of my family. We have been through a lot together over the past few years and I have stood by you through it all. There are limits to even my patience, however.”

When Narcissa paused to brush a hand through her hair, Lucius swallowed. The soft, flowery scent that she favoured wafted through his senses as she moved, causing his fingers to twitch towards her again.

“I will not stand idly by and allow you to destroy this family, Lucius.”

“It was never my intention to destroy anything we have built together, Cissa.”

Lucius breathed deeply when she fell silent again, simply watching him. The scent of her perfume sent tingles through him, mixing in with the fear that still caused his nerves to shiver a little whenever she moved. His head began to swim with the tension that flooded through him before she gave the tiniest of nods.

“I require a few days to myself. Please feel free to sleep on the floor.”

Lucius’ eyes closed automatically as she swept past him. He let out a breath he had not been aware of holding. Shifting his weight, the pressure of his hard cock against the buttons of his trousers became apparent, causing him to let out a soft sound.

“Lucius?”

He turned, not bothering to try to prevent her from seeing the condition she had left him in. The slow smile she offered up did not make it any easier on him.

“If I discover that you have gone behind my back again, expect your life to become extremely uncomfortable.”

Lucius dipped his head again, acknowledging her words. His life was already uncomfortable enough; he did not need to complicate things further.


End file.
